Short biographies
NANGWA TULKU RINPOCHE
At the age of five, Nangwa Tulku Pema Tekchok Dorje Rinpoche was chosen as an incarnate lama and was installed on his throne. He studied with Khenpo Rangshang as his teacher. After that, Nangwa Tulku Rinpoche accumulated the Bumnga [the five hundred thousand fold preliminary practice]. At thirteen he experienced many hardships in life due to the political upheavals in 1958. Around 1980 the Dharma Door opened, and he was able to receive empowerments and instructions in Ratna Lingpa terma and Namchö terma from Garlung Terchen Rinpoche (a student of Tokden Lodoe Gyaltsen Rinpoche), Pema Dechen Rinpoche and Khalung Yangpa Rinpoche. In 1983 and for a few years after that, Nangwa Tulku Pema Tekchok Dorje received Dzogchen teachings and Jetsun Nyingtik teachings from H.H. Terchen Urgyen Kusum Lingpa and also received all of this master’s own terma teachings, and thus became H.H. Terchen Urgyen Kusum Lingpa’s supreme disciple.
Furthermore, he received many other teachings from H.H. Garwang Nyima, the root commentary on the four medical doctrinal treatises from Tuden and extensively studied Tibetan medical science. Nangwa Tulku had great knowledge of the meditative, the prophetic and other advanced powers. When he was fifty years old, H.H. Garwang Nyima gave him the responsibility for the Palyul Chadongri monastery symbolized by giving the Pema Tongdrol hat to Nangwa Tulku. During his entire life the revered Tulku worked for the sake of all sentient beings and the Buddha’s teachings.
GAR KHENTRUL RINPOCHE
Gar Khentrul Tubten Nyima Rinpoche was born in 1948 in the Achung (Akyong) Gongma clan. When he was five years old, he started studying with his elder brother Khen Lobsang Tsultrim as his first teacher. From the ages of six to ten he learned the Stages of the Path, the Great Commentary on the Way of Entering into the Bodhisattva Path, the Longchen Chö Dun, all of the teachings of Dzogchen, the collected teachings of Dodrubchen Rinpoche and the biography of Jetsun Milarepa. Moreover, he listened to many other gradual development teachings, completion stage teachings and so forth. Thus, many qualities of the paths and the bhumis became manifested in Gar Khentrul Tubten Nyima’s mind-stream. At the age of eight, Gar Khentrul Tubten Nyima received the Buddhist precepts for laypeople from Lamku Khenpo, a great exponent of the Jonang Longkya Mingyur Dechen Ling monastery. At the age of seventeen he received his monastic vows from his elder brother Khenpo Lobsang Tsultrim. At the age of twenty-five he was fully ordained by H.H. Tulku Garwang Nyima. Based on those individual vows he became a holder of the Pitakas. At the age of thirty-eight, Gar Khentrul, Tubten Nyima achieved the position of khenpo and was installed on the khenpo throne in Palyul Tharthang Monastery. Since he was forty-two until now he has undertaken both khenpo and Vajra Master (vajra-holder) responsibilities at Palyul Chadongri monastery.
TULKU LODOE RINPOCHE
Tulku Lodoe Gyatso Rinpoche was born in 1978 in Churong, Amdo Golok. When was about nine years old he began his studies. Since then, Choktrul Lodoe Gyatso Rinpoche has been taught by many non-sectarian lamas. He practices Dzogchen and the Kalachakra Six Yogas (sbyor druk), as well as empowerment, instructions, teachings and so forth. He has achieved extensive knowledge of the sutras and tantras as well as the worldly sciences.
When Tulku Lodoe Gyatso Rinpoche was aged twenty-nine he went on pilgrimage to the holy sites of Buddhism in Tibet and India.
He attended the Namdroling Ngagyur Nyingma Institute (Higher Buddhist Studies & Research Center) in South India. While he was in that Shedra class he studied non-religious knowledge [in general the ten sciences of arts and crafts], the Great Commentary on the Way of Entering into the Bodhisattva path, The three vows, Tsejuk Shisum, the Root Wisdom, the Way of Entering into the Middle Way, the Treatise of Four Hundred Verses, and so forth. He also studied the typology of the mind, Signs and Reasoning, the Collected Topics and theory of logic in Sera Jey Monastic University in South India. Here he was again distinguished and enthroned as an incarnate lama and throne holder.
Currently Tulku Lodoe lives in Belgium as a lay practitioner, a yogi. He studies French and founded the Palyul Jamyang Shenrig Puntsok Norling Buddhist Center, a non-profit also known as Palyul Ling Brussels. The name of the center was graciously accorded by H.H. Garwang Nyima Rinpoche.
He has been appointed to construct the Shedra in Churong Chadongri monastery at the request of all lamas, tulkus and khenpos there.